The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-07-01
THE INTERSTATE LAW.
Senator Cullom Considers the OBJ
Jectlons to u.
He Says 1t Has Come to Stay Be-
cause II Is a Good Thing.
Tho Long and Short Haul Clause as
Trade Regulator. d

SPRINGFIELD, ILL.,, June 30.-At meet
ing Of the Illinois Grain Merchants Ass0-
citation yesterday, Senator Cullom was called
upon Ito sspeak ON the Interstate COM
meree law. He thanked the convention for
the opportunity offered him, and said he had
remained silent in regard to the law until
the commits sion appointed under it had got
fairly started in the performance Of its du-
ties. Such progress had been made under 1t
now as TO justify an expression OF opinion,
and he thought 1t safe to say that the first
result was to place all men more nearly ON
equality with respect TO advantages in the
shipments of their products.
"The law" he said, marks the beginning
Of new era in railroad administration, and
Is the actual elimination of q long struggle
for supremacy between the people and the
combined power Of the railroad corpora
ti0ns." He did not claim the law 10 be per-
feet. 1t was In aisense experimental, but 1t
was q declaration by Congress Of its power
over the subject, and Of its determination
that these privileged corporations should be
conducted In the interest Of the people.
The act will not be repealed" said he,
''and II any persons or corporations imagine
1t will, they may as well dismiss that expec-
tation. Its substantial provisions have come
they have not already, that they are in the
interest of the general welfare"
lie said 1t was common to hear the provis-
ions OF the law called bungling and ambigu-
ons. 80 far as my observation goes" said
he, those who are attacking the law and
seeking to overthrow it are the persons who
profess to find difficulty in understanding its
meaning. 1t is in their way. They want to
get rid OF ii. The true ground of objection
on the part Of such critics is to be found in
Of tine law. The fact is that there is nothing
particularly new or startling in its provisions
Similar provisions are found in the consttu-
tions and statutes of many Of the States
and in the laws Of other countries. Much Of
the language used in its most important sec
tions has settled meaning, having been ju-
dlcially construed either in this country or In
England, and this is specially true Of some
Of the phrases which nave been most gener-
ally attacked as meaningless and ambiguous.
The requirements OF the law that all
charges shall be reasonable, aid that there
shall be unjust discrimination or unreasona-
bic advantage or preference in favor Of any
person or place, he declared, had been shown
by the character of the complaints against
the enforcement of the act to be absolutely
demanded. In reference to the long and
short haul clause he said:
For many years the railroads of the cOun-
try have so absolutely controlled our inter-
State commerce that we have no means Of
knowing what are tie natural channels Of
traffic or what would be the effect of the
natural laws OF trade upon many at least of
the present commercial centres. What the
critics of the law call natural centres of
trade are centres created by railroad favorit-
ism, which has diverted trade from It's nat
<mal channels into ARTIFICIAL ones az riie tx
pense of less favored localities"
The Senator hoped there would be no pro-
longed antag0nism to the enforcement Of the
law. He said he did not iOin in the char0a
that the railroads are attempting to render
the law obnoxious He credited them with
too much business sagacity for that. Such
course could only prolong struggle that
would end speedily by quiet aequiesenee in
the VIII OF the people expressed in the law.